Home insurance in Belgium
Home insurance in Belgium is called fire insurance — assurance incendie, brandverzekering — and it covers far more than fire. Water damage, storm, hail, snow pressure, glass breakage and natural disasters including flooding sit in the core of ordinary contracts. No general law makes it compulsory, yet almost every lease and every mortgage lender requires it.
The deciding criterion is not the premium but the insured value of the building and the contents. Under-declare it and the insurer applies the proportional rule, paying only the share your declared value represents of the real one. A contract that is cheaper because it is under-valued is the worst possible outcome, and the discount is invisible until a claim.
| Provider | Plan | Price | Key points | View plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 YuzzuCheapest AXA |
Assurance incendie propriétaire | €374/year |
| View plan |
Corona Direct Belfius |
Assurance incendie propriétaire | €403/year |
| View plan |
 Allianz |
Assurance incendie propriétaire | €435/year |
| View plan |
 Ethias |
Assurance incendie propriétaire | €459/year |
| View plan |
 Fédérale Assurance |
Assurance incendie propriétaire | €586/year |
| View plan |
 KBC |
Assurance incendie propriétaire KBC | On request |
| View plan |
 AG |
Top Habitation | On request |
| View plan |
 BNP Paribas Fortis |
Assurance Habitation | On request |
| View plan |
 Baloise |
Home Flexi | On request |
| View plan |
 CBC Banque KBC |
Assurance Incendie CBC | On request |
| View plan |
 Argenta |
Assurance Habitation Argenta | On request |
| View plan |
 Belfius |
Assurance Habitation Belfius | On request |
| View plan |
Prices and features surveyed on August 31, 2026. They may have changed since. Always check the offer on the provider’s website before signing up.
What a Belgian fire policy actually covers
The core of a Belgian contract goes well beyond fire. It generally includes water damage, storm and hail, snow and ice pressure, glass breakage and natural disasters, flooding among them.
Nearly always added to that are building liability and a recourse of neighbours and third parties guarantee, which responds when a loss starting in your home causes damage elsewhere. In a terraced street or an apartment block, that guarantee does more work than the fire cover itself.
Legal protection is usually optional. It funds the cost of proceedings in a dispute connected to the home, which matters in a neighbour conflict or an argument with a contractor over defective work.
Theft is a separate guarantee too, normally subject to conditions on protective measures and on how quickly the loss is reported. Read those conditions when you buy the cover, not when you need it.
Tenant, owner-occupier, landlord
The owner-occupier insures both the building and the contents. It is the most complete configuration and the most expensive.
The tenant must cover their tenant's liability — the damage to the rented property for which they answer to the landlord — and insures their own contents separately. Most Belgian leases impose this and ask for the certificate before handing over the keys.
The landlord insures the building but not the tenant's belongings, and usually verifies that the tenant is insured. Where the property is an apartment, part of that role is taken over by the collective policy of the co-ownership.
One clause changes the picture for tenants: the recourse waiver, abandon de recours. Where the lease contains it, the landlord gives up the right to claim against the tenant for defined losses, which alters what the tenant actually needs to buy.
The proportional rule, the main trap
If the insured value is below the real value of the property, the insurer reduces the indemnity in proportion to the shortfall. Insured for half the real value, you are compensated for half — including on a small claim, not only on a total loss.
To avoid that, Belgian insurers offer evaluation grids: a questionnaire on the characteristics of the home whose result commits the insurer. Completed accurately, it removes the application of the proportional rule.
Take that questionnaire seriously and update it after building work. A veranda added and never declared is enough to move a file into proportional territory, which is why the declaration matters as much as the price.
Frequently asked questions
Is home insurance compulsory in Belgium?
Not through a general legal obligation, but it is imposed in practice: most leases require it of the tenant, and every mortgage lender requires it of the owner for the duration of the credit. In reality very few occupied homes in Belgium are without it.
What is the difference between fire insurance and home insurance?
None in practice: they are two names for the same Belgian product. The word fire is historical and badly understates the actual scope, which covers water damage, storm, hail, snow pressure, glass breakage and natural disasters. Ask for the list of guarantees rather than relying on the label.
How do I set the right insured value?
Use the insurer's evaluation grid, which is based on the characteristics of the property — surface, number of rooms, finishings — rather than on its market value. Completed accurately, it binds the insurer and removes the proportional rule from the equation when a claim is settled.
Is flooding covered?
Yes. Cover for natural disasters is built into fire insurance for ordinary residential risks in Belgium. Ceilings and franchises vary between contracts, and specific rules apply in areas officially designated as at risk, where cover can be limited. Check the designation for the address before buying.
Can I change home insurer during a lease?
Yes, the insurance contract is independent of the lease. Cancellation normally takes effect at the annual renewal with the notice written into the policy. Make sure there is no gap of even a day between the two contracts, and send the new certificate to your landlord.